• The Roadster Factory Recovery Fund - Friends, as you may have heard, The Roadster Factory, a respected British Car Parts business in PA, suffered a total loss in a fire on Christmas Day. Read about it, discuss or ask questions >> HERE. The Triumph Register of America is sponsoring a fund raiser to help TRF get back on their feet. If you can help, vist >> their GoFundMe page.
  • Hey there Guest!
    If you enjoy BCF and find our forum a useful resource, if you appreciate not having ads pop up all over the place and you want to ensure we can stay online - Please consider supporting with an "optional" low-cost annual subscription.
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this UGLY banner)
Tips
Tips

Rebuilding a 1275 for a BE

twas_brillig

Jedi Knight
Country flag
Offline
We have a nigh-on-perfect BE body tub (owned since 1972, never been on the road; spent a year at a body shop recently) that I'm hoping to get to doing final assembly on this winter.
It has a Rivergate Datsun 5 speed and the head has been redone with hardened inserts etc. but the block is pretty much toast (a bit of a surprise and disappointment).
Touch wood, we'll be dragging it indoors sometime in the new year, pulling the engine, and getting it rebuilt. I would appreciate thoughts as to what improvements should be made. And let's not worry about carbs at this point.
I believe that I've got the good rear main seal from Rivergate, and am thinking:
Head: switch to ??? rockers (because they look good) and a ??? head gasket (because it works)
Ignition: Pertronix (we'll be staying with positive ground)
Exhaust: we have an LCB header
Shortblock: your suggestions??
- stock cam(I'm a cheap bahstead),
- get it balanced
- spin on oil filter
- look at upgrading the harmonic balancer
- perhaps use ARP bolts wherever I can afford them


I figure I'll change the rockers on the head to
 
OP
T

twas_brillig

Jedi Knight
Country flag
Offline
Gosh dang! just hit a wrong button, and the 'draft' got loaded onto the site.
Okay: corrections and such (I'm looking for a good, solid, runner that will be trouble free forever and take advantage of whatever progress we've made in the sixty years since the car was originally built):
- what is the preferred head gasket
- what is the preferred oil pump
- what is the preferred rockers? Titan? 1.3 vs 1.5 vs ?? And: costs? there seems to be quite a variety on prices
- valve springs: single? double? who from? why?
- is a windage tray a good idea? who from? can I 'whittle' my own?
- comments on lifters and pushrods
- comments on cams
- comments on timing gears and chains
- comments on pistons
- comments on everything

Thanks, Doug
 

Jerry

Darth Vader
Gold
Country flag
Offline
You are going to get a lot of opinions on this post. I will make a comment about what not to buy. I have a 285 cam in my engine and it is too much for street driving. The instructions said to time it at 18 BTDC , That is a lot of advance and pushes the power band even higher. No power at low rpm, but once you get above 3000 rpm, goes like heck. I would not buy that cam again. Getting it to match up with the fuel supply has been a problem. The good news on these engines is that there are MANY options out there. PS: my engine has been dynoed and puts out 95hp at 5800rpm. I think it is easy to get there if you want to spend money.
other things done with my engine:
Pistons were coated with some kind of slipper stuff. Seems to work, in combination with a oil catcher attached to the valve cover, the oil looks new even after 3000 miles. The head I used is shaved and has the largest valves you can put into it. I don't remember the rockers but they are roller rockers although a cheaper set.
 
OP
T

twas_brillig

Jedi Knight
Country flag
Offline
Back when I was working, I figured the most useful stuff to hear was 'man, we really screwed up on that one' vs. ' dang we're good', so appreciate the 'don't buy this, for these reasons'. So, thanks, Jerry.

A couple of items that I'm going to look at: ARP bolts everywhere I can afford them; a Payen BK450 head gasket (recommended on one of the threads here); spin-on oil filter; ask the machinist to have a look-see at the surface for the oil pressure relief valve; replace the oil pressure plunger with a ball bearing (BLS916 from MiniSpares or equivalent); rear oil seal; some sort of upgrade for the main bearing cap (I might have one in a bin somewhere); windage tray; LCB header (I think I've got one); matching exhaust pipe; muffler: possibly stock; possibly MGB; possibly Harley (I've got a couple out back); maybe pay to get everything balanced, but Vizard summarizes balancing as giving you a smoother engine but not necessary.

Anything other than 'stock' will - of course - be impacted by what the cost in my hands would be.
 

Jerry

Darth Vader
Gold
Country flag
Offline
As you said oil pressure, a bell rang. When I first started my engine, I had 90 psi of oil pressure. The oil pump is some heavy duty one that the guy who sold me the block had bought. 90 is high, so I added an adjustable screw to the oil pressure relief valve, now it is down to 50 psi.
Exhaust system! I went for the larger pipe, less resonator. My engine is LOUD. I keep planning on adding something to tone it down but I have not done it yet. By the way, driving the car is fun. It is a go cart with power!
 
OP
T

twas_brillig

Jedi Knight
Country flag
Offline

Bob Claffie

Jedi Knight
Country flag
Offline
Didn't we have a fellow on here a while back who ran a speed shop and built engines for a living ? Hap was his name, I bet he could give you chapter and verse on what works and what doesn't. Bob
 

leecreek

Jedi Warrior
Country flag
Offline
Hap Arnold. Might be the best investment on that 1275.
 
OP
T

twas_brillig

Jedi Knight
Country flag
Offline
Per Drooartz write-up: Hap Waldrop of the Acme Speed Shop in South Carolina
We're north of the 49th, and I expect that shipping etc etc would absolutely kill the costs. I'm looking at a base OEM equivalent rebuild vs. building a hotter engine. Thoughts on improving reliability is more important than performance (athough they can surely go hand-in-hand). Thoughts on stuff like an optimum crankshaft damper, oil pump, windage tray, water pump, head gasket, ARP bolts, etc. etc. Which all can lead into performance thoughts: roller rockers; special push-rods; etc. etc. etc.
There's a Spridget speed shop who I bought some stuff from years ago (and that I think Hap recommended, with the comment that their web-page was definitely not fancy). Is this enough clues that somehow can remember their name? thanks, Doug
 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
pbraun Anyone have a 1275 core for rebuilding? Spridgets 8
lbc_newbie Rebuilding 1275 for a little performance... Spridgets 8
S TR2/3/3A Rebuilding a cylinder head Triumph 10
S TR2/3/3A Rebuilding a tr3 transmission and second gear, Triumph 57
S TR2/3/3A when rebuilding a differential Triumph 9
M TR2/3/3A Rebuilding suspension Triumph 29
G Rebuilding Front Seats Austin Healey 4
E TR6 Rebuilding Distributor Triumph 2
JMACENGINESHOP BJ7 Engine Rebuilding Austin Healey 23
S TR2/3/3A Engine Rebuilding. Triumph 14
L MGB Rebuilding a 1977 MGB MG 1
S TR2/3/3A Rebuilding the early tr3 starter Triumph 5
Joel Lester TR2/3/3A What type of valve to use when rebuilding the head? Triumph 10
KVH General Tech Rebuilding the Engine Triumph 5
K TR2/3/3A Rebuilding an Engine?..New Cam Sprocket & Gear...1/2 Price Triumph 0
drooartz Rebuilding rear axle Spridgets 19
pkmh Rebuilding Armstrong Lever Shocks on a BJ8 Austin Healey 28
steveg Steering rocker shaft - chemical rebuilding Austin Healey 3
steveg Rebuilding roadster windshield Austin Healey 24
A Rebuilding Tiger window regulator question Sunbeam (Rootes) 3
S TR2/3/3A Rebuilding Dr2 Lucas wiper motor Triumph 16
S TR2/3/3A rebuilding bomb nose starter Triumph 9
W Looking for engine rebuilding 100-6 Austin Healey 12
KVH General Tech Rebuilding the Engine--a few practice pointers [for me] Triumph 11
R TR2/3/3A Rebuilding H4 carbs Triumph 8
S TR2/3/3A rebuilding door panels Triumph 15
Rut TR4/4A Seat rebuilding Triumph 3
steveg Rebuilding the Dip Switch Austin Healey 9
Tinkerman TR2/3/3A Rebuilding SU carbs 1960 TR3A Triumph 3
Rut TR4/4A Seat rebuilding Triumph 6
CZ_Dave MGB Is it worth doing the Shock Conversion Kit or Rebuilding Exsisting shocks? MG 16
JFeher TR2/3/3A Rebuilding A type OD I Need advise / measurements Triumph 14
KVH TR4/4A Engine rebuilding Triumph 17
gbtr6 TR6 Rebuilding TR6 Engine, Tips? Triumph 7
Got_All_4 TR2/3/3A Continually Rebuilding of my J Type Gear Box Triumph 2
drooartz MGB-GT Rebuilding the seats MG 28
Gray_Cat MGB Rebuilding MGB Overdrive MG 4
S TR2/3/3A rebuilding a tr3 water pump Triumph 22
Lin Rebuilding a master cylinder for BT7 Austin Healey 3
PatGalvin TR2/3/3A Guide for SU Rebuilding Triumph 8
H TR4/4A 4A convertible top rebuilding sequence Triumph 8
sim Rebuilding Front Suspension 58 sprite spring question Spridgets 6
Lukens TR2/3/3A More questions about rebuilding my steering box Triumph 20
charleyf TR4/4A Hs6 carb rebuilding Triumph 8
S TR2/3/3A Transmission Rebuilding Triumph 29
L 1966 BJ8 frame rebuilding questions Austin Healey 1
djackson Rebuilding 100/6 Transmission Austin Healey 6
bighealeysource Rebuilding BN2 generator Austin Healey 5
Xte Rev counter rebuilding ... Austin Healey 2
J TR6 rebuilding tr6 rear hubs Triumph 13

Similar threads

Top